Harmonious Living - Tai Chi as a Health Exercise

Tai Chi as a Health Exercise

www.begintaichi.co.za

Tuesday, 25 July 2006

Tai Chi In the sporting circle it has long been acknowledged that Tai Chi is suitable for both men and women, old or young, weak or strong, and those suffering from chronic diseases due to the softness, slowness, coherence and harmony of the exercise.

The characteristic features in practicing Tai Chi are stillness, lightness, slowness, relaxation of the muscles of the whole body, and more importantly use of the mind and not force. The practitioner must be fully conscious of all the movements, that is all the movements are always controlled by the mind.

Some of the primary factors that affect our body's ability to function well are:

Our Posture and Body Alignment
Our Ability to Relax
Our Breathing

The movements in Tai Chi work on many levels, both obvious and hidden, but they strongly address the above factors. And, in the process of addressing the primary health functions Tai Chi also improves:

Digestion and circulation via gentle abdominal massaging due to the various rotating movements
Blood circulation via the gentle stimulation of the movements
Organ functions due to correct postures and organ positioning
Lymphatic drainage via the muscular stimulation of that system
Oxygenation of the blood via improved breathing
Brain functions due to more oxygenated blood circulation
Flexibility in the joints by means of increased synovial fluids
The strengthening of core stability muscles in the back
The reduction of tension build-up in the shoulders
Leg strength and muscle toning
Conditions such as hypertension
Performance for athletes

Tai Chi is quite distinct from strenuous and energetic sports (such as long-distance running, ball games, swimming and others) that depend on strenuous activity of the muscles and high oxygen demands of the body.

Strenuous exercises arouse a series of physiological responses such as panting, quickening of heart rate and raising blood pressure, which are caused passively by adaptation and reflexation mechanisms of the body through the action of the vegetative nerve system. Such exercises are therefore hazardous to those who are aged or in poor health because of the decreased ability of the body to adapt, especially when the exercise is done excessively.

Tai Chi, as a physical exercise, differs from other strenuous exercises in that it often keeps the body in a single weighted manner, increasing the body's circulation by using minimum force. Minimum force on the muscles prevents the muscles from breaking any blood circulation. Blood flow is therefore constant and it is delivered to all parts of the body.

Maintaining focus trains the central nervous system and stimulates it so after the form one feels regenerated."

One of the most important principles within Tai Chi is relaxation (or song in Chinese). Without this our chi (or life-giving energy) is impeded and blocked, and the fluidity of movement cannot occur. When we move in a relaxed but confident manner, we save energy and we "flow".

Relaxation is not a state of collapse, but rather a sense of being present in the body; alert but not tense and fearful.

Thus the body language of a Tai Chi practitioner is not aggressive or passive; it is in the middle of these two extremes - Yin and Yang.

This article is taken from www.begintaichi.co.za. Contact Nico Kleynhans (083 287 3928 - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Jaco Kleynhans (072 666 4992 - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for more information about Tai Chi and their classes.

Share |

Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.

Vitamin C

Revitalising Shower